As Texas A&M expects to get the SEC all-clear on Wednesday, let's turn our attention to team No. 14. Actually, let's turn our attention to COLLEGE FOOTBALL THAT IS BEING PLAYED RIGHT NOW, but if we must turn our attention away from the sport ...
CBS Sports' Dennis Dodds says it's down to the West Virginia Mountaineers and Missouri Tigers for that last spot. That would remove such nonsense as the Maryland Terrapins and Louisville Cardinals from the running, plus the North Carolina Tar Heels and N.C. State Wolfpack. The biggest surprise would be the exclusion of the Virginia Tech Hokies, though I'd still assume they're in it based on how much time they spend denying their interest.
Mizzou would deliver a pair of big TV markets and turn in a reputable football program, while West Virginia is by far the best cultural fit on the board and would provide the Pittsburgh market. If it's a question of money versus culture, these might be the two schools you'd come down to as representative of each end of the equation, though of course each would also offer a bit of both.
Pretty, pretty interesting.
For more, head to West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket and Missouri blog Rock M Nation.